One of our longevity myths is "Get married, and you will live longer." The data tell a different story.

Marriage was health-promoting primarily for men who were well-suited to marriage and had a good marriage. For the rest, there were all kinds of complications.

For example, women who got divorced often thrived. Even women who were widowed often did exceptionally well. It often seemed as if women who got rid of their troublesome husbands stayed healthy—most women, it seemed, can rely on their friends and other social ties. Men who got and stayed divorced, on the other hand, were at really high risk for premature mortality. It would have been better had they not married at all.

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Comments

Divorce can be very healthy when compared to the alternative: holding on to a dysfunctional relationship. The reality of divorce is that sometimes it needs to happen. In those cases, when it finally does happen, the husband and wife are a lot happier, and I assume, a lot healthier.